Nostalgic Grooming | Clay

There are very few brewers out there that can get me all excited by simply announcing a new product. Nostalgic Grooming (or formerly known as Nostalgic Handmade) is one of those who will always get my attention. Even from the start, their products were uniquely formulated and styled. Now, they've released a new Clay and Cream which we will obviously be trying out ASAP. Today, we'll be looking at their Clay.

Design

This is a pretty drastic change from their original labels. Nostalgic Grooming recently went through a full makeover. In my opinion, their new look doesn't garner the same nostalgic feelings as the ones before, but obviously, it's impossible to get the same feeling as the old look without using direct references to 90s video games. Nevertheless, this is a much more original look. On top of it all, I appreciate the fact that their nostalgic look back doesn't overlap with the cliché American 50s.

Officially, it's a teakwood citrus. Opening up the jar, you can't smell it much at all. The only thing my nose could pick up was the mango butter. However, once you agitate it in your hands, the smell definitely comes out strong and reminds me exactly of The Pomade. I often confuse teakwood and mahogany scents because they're similar leathery-wood smells. It's a beautiful aroma.

Consistency

Clay is a lot thicker than many of the other water-based products we've used. At the same time, it is advertised as a firm hold (and actually is a firm hold) so this is more of a good sign that we'll get what we expect. Though thick, I wouldn't say it's difficult to scoop out of the jar.

Application

It's strangely reminiscent of Baxter Clay Pomade and other strong oil-based pomades. This is reassuring of how much hold we'll get. Also, this means it's only grippy at all. Though you can sense that there's a good amount of wax in the pomade, it's still easy to apply.

Shine

I'd say it's neutral, but I guess you can argue that it's slightly matte.

Texture

Coarse. There's a good balancing going on here between the stickiness of the wax and mango butter with the dry texture of the clays. This makes the texture not only coarse but also easy to work with.

Strength

Definitely and undoubtedly firm.

Control

This is just as intuitive to work with as the Baxter Clay and Lockharts Matte Clay. The advantage to these products is that their thickness is similar to that of oil-based pomades. This allows you to create texture that stays there you put it.

Endurance

Very good. Today was a true test because it's a hot as shit. 100F and sunny as hell. It did a great job surviving the day. Clay obviously didn't maintain flawlessness, but it stood up better than most other products would.

Restyling

It actually left me with an impressive amount of volume. Sure, I lost some, but compared to other products we've used, restyling was very easy with this pomade.

Greasiness

Even with the hot weather, the level of greasiness was the same at the end of the day as it was in the beginning.

Hardness

Not at all. There is some stiffening of the wax, but I still feel the need to explain that this water-based product does not harden into a shell like other gel-pomades.

Rinsing

Washes out with shampoo.

Conclusion

Nostalgic Grooming Clay receives my seal of approval as a great clay pomade. It's very comparable to Baxter Clay and Lockharts Matte Clay -- even better in some regards. It's a thick and strong clay pomade that provides as good of hold as it does coarse texture. I would say it's unreasonable to compare to other clays like Arcadian Clay or Prelude. Though both in the same category, they are drastically different but each with its own place on my shelf.

If you're interested in trying it out yourself, we provide you all with our exclusive promo code THEPOMP to simply help you save a bit and encourage you to shop directly with Nostalgic Grooming. It's your support that helps these small businesses grow.